Check Engine Light Myths

As I read posts on here, I'm left thinking people find a code and rush out to buy a sensor. I ran across an excellent short article that discusses the "myths" about CEL's. Anyone who works on their own car OUGHT to read this!!

http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/myth-conception.shtml


Happy Exploring

Chris

Good to know. Thanks.

Thank-you for this excellent read.

Originally posted by gdh
Thank-you for this excellent read.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

Hmmm makes ya think, thanks!

This may help some of the folks posting CEL questions.

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Try this:

http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/myth-conception.shtml

Good reading, thanks!

That is a great artice! Thanks!

not too suer about this one

Myth 2: You can clear the codes by disconnecting the battery.
This is true on pre-96 vehicles and very few, if any, OBD2 vehicles. Some folks will say, "I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes and the light went out, so it cleared the codes". No, it didn't. It may have reset the ECM and the light is no longer present, but the code is still there and if the problem has not been repaired, the light will come back on. The next time you have a problem, now you or the mechanic who is working on the vehicle are going to have to contend with that code as well as any other that is present.

It is true. All you are doing with the battery disconnect is, basically, getting rid of the light. The code goes into history. If it was just a "freak" code, then after a certain number of starts, it will clear itself. If it was a good code because of a real problem, it will return.

does this apply to tranny codes as well

Good article.
Anyone who has wrestled with OBDII knows that in most cases it may only get you in the ball park. I found even with the “crisp descriptions” associated with the codes…… you still have to do some thinking, figure out how things work together and test other things to really find the problem.
(good reference material is key)

AND go through a complete driving cycle ……in the hope the error does not return because of cascading errors or multiple problems.

Great thread!

Interesting, thanks

Good Article indeed

Time to bump this up again.. I think it ought to be a sticky...

Good Article to think about.

now if i could only find a good OBD1 reader and do not say paperclip or test light or voltmeter.